Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg. Portrait by Christoph Bernhard Francke
Spouse(s)	Christine Sophie of Brunswick-Lüneburg Sophie Amalie of Holstein-Gottorp Elisabeth Sophie Marie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg
Noble family	House of Welf
Father	Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Mother	Elizabeth Juliana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Nordborg
Born	8 March 1662 Wolfenbüttel
Died	23 March 1731 (aged 69)

Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (German: August Wilhelm) (8 March 1662 – 23 March 1731) ruled over the Wolfenbüttel subdivision of the duchy from 1714 until his death.

Augustus William was the third son of Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Unlike his father, he was not interested in politics, and left decisions to corrupt ministers. Even though he was married three times, he died childless in 1731 and was succeeded by his younger brother, Louis Rudolph. Despite his marriages, he claimed to have been introduced to the "art" of same-sex attraction in Venice; later falling in love with Charles Louis of the Palatinate^[1][2]

Family

1. In 1681, he married Christine Sophie (1654–1695), daughter of Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
2. In 1695, he married to Sophie Amalie (1670–1710), daughter of Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
3. In 1710, he married to Elisabeth Sophie Marie (1683–1767), daughter of Prince Rudolph Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Norburg.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

16. Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               8. Henry, Duke of Brunswick-Dannenberg                       17. Sophia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin               4. Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                             18. Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg               9. Ursula of Saxe-Lauenburg                       19. Sibylle of Saxony               2. Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel                                   20. Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt (= 28)               10. Rudolph, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst                       21. Eleonore of Württemberg (= 29)               5. Dorothea of Anhalt-Zerbst                             22. Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (= 30)               11. Dorothea Hedwig of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (= 14)                       23. Dorothea of Saxony (= 31)               1. Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                                         24. King Christian III of Denmark               12. John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg (= 15)                       25. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg               6. Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Norburg                             26. Ernest III, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen               13. Elisabeth of Brunswick-Grubenhagen                       27. Margaret of Pomerania-Wolgast               3. Elizabeth Juliana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Nordborg                                   28. Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt (= 20)               14. Rudolph, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (= 10)                       29. Eleonore of Württemberg (= 21)               7. Eleanor of Anhalt-Zerbst                             30. Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (= 22)               15. Dorothea Hedwig of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (= 11)                       31. Dorothea of Saxony (= 23)

References

1. Paul Derks: Die Schande der heiligen Päderastie. Homosexualität und Öffentlichkeit in der deutschen Literatur 1750-1850, Verlag Rosa Winkel, Berlin 1990, S. 34f
2. Elisabeth Charlotte von Orleans: Briefe aus den Jahren 1676 bis 1706, hrsg. von Wilhelm Ludwig Holland, Stuttgart 1867, Nr. 108, S. 196f., Elisabeth Charlotte an Louise, Raugräfin zu Pfalz (Stiefschwester, 27. Juli 1700)

• Article in Zedler's Universal-Lexicon (in German)
• At the House of Welf site (in German)